


Welcome Back

by marguerite_26



Series: Pornathon 2012 [7]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Frottage, M/M, Post-Break Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-22
Updated: 2012-09-22
Packaged: 2017-11-14 18:51:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/518415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marguerite_26/pseuds/marguerite_26
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He shouldn’t have moved away, abandoned his friends without explanation. He shouldn’t have lost touch. He shouldn’t have broken Merlin’s heart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Welcome Back

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to eleadore for the beta. Written for summerpornathon Week 7: The non-penetration challenge!

Arthur knows he’s an arsehole. He doesn’t need Morgana’s glare to tell him that. He shouldn’t have moved away, abandoned his friends without explanation. He shouldn’t have lost touch.

He shouldn’t have broken Merlin’s heart.

He knows. It took him a year to find himself, to figure out that he could be someone beyond Uther Pendragon’s son. That’s a long time. But is it too much to forgive? Arthur isn’t sure.

The pub fills and, one by one, his friends file through the door as Morgana had arranged. They stop, slack-jawed as they spot him. He waves sheepishly at one after another. To Gwen he whispers, “Sorry,” and he sees forgiveness in her eyes for all the unanswered emails. She was the only one who kept trying after the first three months of no replies.

The conversation is stilted as they crowd into a booth; no one brings up the elephant in the room. Elena asks Arthur about New York and he lies and says it was great. Then Gwaine punches him in the arm, accompanying his snarky, “Welcome back, Princess.” Things almost feel normal after that.

Until Merlin walks in and then it’s like the entire pub collectively holds its breath.

Behind Merlin is another bloke, dark hair and soulful brown eyes. When Merlin stops at the sight of Arthur and blanches, the bloke’s arm slips around Merlin’s shoulders. The concerned look on his face tells Arthur enough.

He’s too late, Arthur realises. He took too long. He told Merlin not to wait for him, so he has no one to blame but himself. Yet he’d hoped. In the noise and bright lights of New York, he dreamt of Merlin back in England, getting on with his life in all aspects but one. He was a fool.

Suddenly the booth is too crowded, the pub too hot. He pushes his way free with mumbled apologies and a cold sweat trickling down his neck. He finds a darkened corner by the loo and tries to pull himself together.

“You’re back.” The words are sharp-edged. Accusing.

Arthur’s eyes snap open to see Merlin too close. His eyes bore into Arthur; he’s trembling. It’s a flashback to the night he said goodbye.

“You didn’t tell me you were back.” Merlin’s lips turn down, like not calling when he got in was worse than Arthur up and leaving him. 

“I didn’t know what would be waiting for me,” he admits in a moment of accidental honesty.

“Arthur,” Merlin says, and Arthur’s breath catches because no one has said his name like that in a long time. “I waited.”

Arthur feels something squeeze at his heart and he looks away, back to the table where his friends are pretending not to watch them -- all but Merlin’s dark haired bloke, who is kissing Gwen’s cheek and slipping his palm into hers. Oh.

“I _am_ waiting.”

Arthur grabs Merlin’s wrists because he needs to touch but doesn’t know where to start. “I told you not to.”

“I did anyway.” There’s a desperate look in Merlin’s eyes, like Arthur might disappear any second.

They sink deeper into the shadows, out of sight as they lose themselves in kisses.

Arthur pins Merlin’s hands above his head, a touch too tight. Merlin moans and it’s like he never left. Gratitude fills Arthur until he’s aching with it, eyes stinging as he bites at Merlin’s lips and rocks into him. Their trapped cocks grind together. He holds Merlin tighter, squeezing his wrists until Merlin moans again, hips jutting forward.

“You’re back,” Merlin says, breathless and desperate. His thigh slides between Arthur’s legs.

Arthur sucks Merlin’s neck, stopping only when breathing through his nose isn’t enough and he’s getting dizzy. “I’m back,” he pants, riding Merlin’s thigh like they’re teenagers.

Merlin’s pinned to the wall; the roll of his hips is jittery and frantic. He whines to be allowed more movement. Arthur shifts to hold Merlin with one hand and fumbles with both their zips, not willing to break their kisses or step back. Clumsy, he grips their cocks in his fist and tugs. Eyes closed, he breathes in Merlin’s scent. He’s home again.

“I’m back,” he says, repeating himself like a mantra as a counterpoint to each pull of their cocks.

Merlin gasps, coming silently into Arthur’s palm. Sliding the tip of his cock up and down Merlin’s slick shaft, Arthur tumbles after him.

He kisses Merlin, clinging and not letting go. “And I’m not leaving you again.”

**Author's Note:**

> [LJ post](http://marguerite-26.livejournal.com/712020.html)


End file.
